Walking:

Two large relief maps are situated on the Veranda. There are also other maps
and books available in the Moulin that list many excellent walks to suit all
grades of walker.
A Good short walk from the Moulin
A recommended circuit walk from the Moulin starts from the back drive. Walk to the Aire de Segalas on the Main St Girons Foix road. Turn left and take the first left at a small house with netting fence and 2 barking dogs! This road leads you up a hill where you take a left turn towards a hamlet called Ordas. This quiet road takes you back towards Durban, the other side of the river from the Moulin. You will have views of Mont Valier in the distance. Continue through Ordas and down the hill into Duban sur Arize, where you cross the river and turn left back to the Moulin by the front drive. Takes about 1.5 hours.

A good panoramic drive with spectacular views and a tranquil mountain lake Choose a sunny morning and leave before 9.00 to get the best views. Take the D117 towards St Girons. Just before you get to Rimont turn left to Col de la Crouzette. After 100 yds turn right and continue up the valley to the Col de Rhil. There is a good view to the right towards St Girons. Turn left and continue to Col de la Crouzette. Where you turn left and enjoy the wonderful panorama of mountains to the right. Continue East along this road until you get to the highest point of the road, Col de la Portet, where you can see towards Toulouse to the left and the Pyrenees to the right. Continue along the road to the Col de Peguere, where there is a viewing platform that locates all the mountain peaks you can see. Just beyond the viewing position there is a steep road to the right that takes you down to Massat. Take this road down and turn right at the bottom to Massat. Continue through Massat ( Arguably the maruana growing
capital of France) towards St Girons along the Arac river (There is still gold panning on this stretch - probably only performed by Hippies high on grass) When the Arac flows into the Salat, turn left to Oust / Seix . Take the road to
Seix and turn right over the river when you get to Seix, direction Col de la Core. There is a good cafe for a cup of coffee 20 yards past the bridge. This road takes you up to the Col de la Core, the tour de France takes this route
each year. On the last bend before the top it is worth stopping to read about the "Chemin de la Liberte" - The high Pyrenean escape route the allied pilots, Jews and other French used to escape from the Nazis. At the Col there are spectacular views of the Pyrenees to the right and the Castillon valley to the left. Proceed down the other side and about 2 miles down, at a wooded corner turn left to Lac de Bethmale, which is only 50 yards off the main road. Takes about half an hour to walk round, good place for a picnic. Proceed down the Castillon valley and turn right at the bottom to Castillon. The road continues to St Girons. Just past Castillon you can turn left along the Bellongue valley to St Lary, but if lunch time is approaching we recommend you proceed toward St Giron and stop in Engomer. On the right, just before the bridge over the Lers river, is a super Auberge where they do an excellent meal for 11 Euros - the frogs legs are highly recommended. The road ends up in St Girons where you pick up the Foix road to get back to the Moulin, where you can recover by the pool. There are many other excellent scenic drives that you can take but the above is a good mix.

Shops:
Duban sur Arize. Excellent Bakery with a wood fired oven, we recommend Une Forgasse, or une grosse Flute, The forgasse is softer and is only made early morning when the oven is heating up.

Castelnau Duban. Small Boulongerie where you can buy baguettes, croissants and a limited range of other groceries

La Bastide de Serou. There is a good Casino store in la Bastide de Serou. You can get almost everything in this village, where the shops are also open on a Sunday morning. The Pharmacy is excellent and they speak English.
Everywhere shuts between 12 and 2.00pm. All supermarkets are shut on Sunday.

Large Supermarket Shopping. You must go to either Foix or St Girons both approx 20 kms away.

Foix: Is a business and commercial centre. There are some lovely shops in the alley ways off the busy main parking place. You can visit the Chateau and eat in numerous small cafes and restaurants at lunchtime. Avoid Friday market day if you are only sightseeing. The super markets are the other side of Foix towards Tarascon.

St Girons: is a more laid back and slightly scruffy, but has the benefit of being the confluence of three rivers. It also has some nice shops. Attached to St Girons is the historic town of St Lizier, with its Cathedral, Bishops
Palace & Apothecary's shop. Well worth a visit.

Toulouse: the Rose city, named after the colour of the stone, is only 80 mins by car and is a very beautiful city of art and culture with wonderful shops etc. You can also let the train take the strain from Foix to avoid parking problems.

Carcassone: Well worth a visit to see the ancient cite. Probably the most comprehensively restored ramparts in Europe. Best visited in the morning to avoid the crowds. 80 mins away

Markets:

Monday: Mirepoix: - 40 minutes away but highly recommended, full of artisan products. Enjoy the timbered cloisters around the market square and visit the church with its amazingly wide spanned aisles. It gets very full at lunch time, so we recommend you eat at the Poulet sur le Toit 3 minutes before you get to Mirepoix. We suggest you book into it on the way in to be sure of a table. On the way back it is worth visiting Eglise Rupestre at Vals - this is a medieval church built into the rock face.

Wednesday: Mas d'Azil: - A small intimate market. Only one small bar on the edge of the road, but the hotel with lovely terrace opens at midday for food.

Thursday: La Bastide de Serou: - A very small market.

Friday: Foix: - Very large busy market. OK. but not as artisanal as others. Look out for the vegetable market by the church as well as walk round the quaint narrow streets.

Saturday: St Girons: - A very colourful market, full of hippies and alternative people (marginals). We recommend you sit outside the Hotel de la Union and watch the bizarre clientele. We recommend you cross the marble bridge and eat at Le Café Gallopin on the other bank.

Restaurants:

Chez Victor: Castelnau Durban - Very French. Busy at lunch time but usually quiet in the evening, a very friendly welcome to all our guests ia assured. Excellent value.

Bon Acceuil: Rimont - Good cuisine, inexpensive, better than smarter Hotel la Poste next door.

Tour de Loup: en route to Bastide de Serou - Good buffet at lunchtime

Auberge at Engomer: Very good at lunchtime, west from St Girons towards Castillon

Chateaux de Rhodes: en route to Bastide de Serou - Excellent haute cuisine in lovely surroundings. €25 or €45 menu.

Moulin at Moulis: Excellent Italian food incl. Pizzas, west from St Girons towards Castillon.

Grottos:

Mas d'Azil: Worth having a guided tour. Son et Lumiere approx 2 hours. The ticket includes a visit to the museum in Mas d'Azil.

Niaux & Bedeillac. Both in the same area south of Foix near Tarascon. Quite interesting, worth a visit on a rainy day, take anorak or jumper as the temperature remains constant all year.

Labouiche: Very interesting underground river system that gives you the longest underground river trip in Europe. Stalagmites, Stalactites, Cascades, worth seeing, particularly since it is so close. Turn left off the D117 after La

Bastide de Serou. Tour involves climbing 200 steps, so not suitable for the infirmed.

Other Attractions:

Forges de Pyrennes: Well organised working exhibition of old arts and crafts of the Ariege - Approx 2 hours to go round. There is a café. Carla Bayle: Hilltop artists town with Summer Exhibition July August. Go through Mas d'Azil, then straight across the crossroads at Sabarat and you will see it signposted. Wonderful views of the Pyrenees.. Fetes: There are fetes happening all over the Ariege every week through the summer. Go to the tourist information centre at the Bastide de serou for details. This is one of the best information centre in the Ariege.